Automobile tag



Dec. 31, 1929. I G. A. BROOKS 7 1,741,610

AUTOMOBILE TAG Filed r h 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Q Q [NV NTOR I I B 1 fmyG. A. BROOKS AUTOMOBILE TAG Dec. 31, 1929.

Filed March 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet I TTO NEY $10? 14.3 lNZf TOR Y B mvnmN Wm Nvm M wvn N MN Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES GUS A. BROOKS,OF HAYS LICK, KENTUCKY AUTOMOBILE TAG Application filed March 5,

My invention relates to improvements in automobile tag and signalapparatus. One

. of its objects is to provide signal housing members adapted to servepermanently upon the front and rear ofan automobile .and arranged to actas the supports for annually replaceable automobile front and rear tags,which slip into and out of place and are replaceable as to color as wellas date and State or locality, and are illuminated at night. Anotherobj'ect is to provide signal housing members in which the stop light,tag illuminating and tail light, and right and left turn signal lightsare all permanently housed. Another object is to provide an improvedcombination of housing having an illuminated replaceable tag and a taillight. Another object is to provide an improved combination of taillight, replaceable illuminated tag and owner identification plate.Another object is to provide an improved housing and replaceableilluminated and changeable tag. Another object is to provide an improvedhousing and replaceable changeable and perforated tag. My invention alsocomprises certain details of form and arrangement and combination ofcomponents, all of which will be fully set forth in the description ofthe accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan of a housingadapted to support a rear tag, a tail light, a stop light and such othersignal lights as may be desired.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the rear housing taken on line 33of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the rear housing taken on line 44!of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4.- is a horizontal. section through the rear housing. g

The accompanying drawings illustrate one I embodiment of my invention,in which 15 represents a rear tag and signal housing attached to thecenter or one side of the rear of an automobile and 16 a front tag andsignal housing attached preferably to the center of the front of theautomobile. These hous- 1929. Serial No. 344,477.

ings are designed to be permanently attached to the automobile and maybe constructed all of metal or partly of metal and partly of wood andother materials such, for instance, as insulating fibre and bakelite.Each housing is preferably divided by horizontal partition walls 17 andvertical partition walls 18 into a plurality of separate compartments.One compartment 19 is provided with a rearwardly directed window ofcolored glass or other light transmitting glazing material 20, adaptedto serve as a stop light window. A signal light 21 is located within thecompartment 19 in position to show rearwardly through the stop lightwindow 20. A compartment 22 is provided with a rearward window of clearor colored glazing material 23. A light 24 located within thecompartment 22 is designed to display rearwardly through the window 23 asignal indicating to those in rear of the automobile that a left handturn of the automobile is about to be made. A compartment 25 providedwith a rearwardly directed window of clear or colored glazing material26 is provided with-a light 27 adapted to display rearwardly through thewindow 26 a signal that the automobile is about to make a right handturn. A rearwardly directed window 28 serves as a tail light signal, andpreferably receives its light from a light 29 located in a relativelylarge central compartment 30 the rear of which is covered by a rearautomobile tag 31, which is held in place by being slipped in ahorizontal direction into place between the channeled upper and loweredges of a window 32 in the rear wall of the housing 15. As illustratedthe tag 31 comprises a sheet of metal onfibre having its automobilenumber B 160224, Ohio, 1929, formed by a series of closely arrangedperforations through the tag sheet 31. ,These perforations being of acontrasting color as compared with the color of-the face of the sheet31, are readily legible in daylight, and

after dark light rays from the light 29 shines through the perforationsin the sheet 31, and I renders the license tag readily legible at adistance from the rear. The two compartments 33 and 34 are each providedwith a downwardly directed window 35 and a' light 36, adapted to throwlight rays upon the road in rear of the automobile to assist theoperator in backing the automobile after dark. The central compartment30 is preferably provided with a downward extension 37 provided with thewindow 28. A mirror 38 in the extension 37 catches a portion of the raysdownwardly from the light 29 and reflects the rays rearwardly throughthe colored window 28. If desired a separate tail light may be providedin rear of the window 28'. y A space 39 upon the rear face of thehousing is designed to receive the signature of.

the State ofiicial authorized to issue licenses and also the signatureof the owner of the automobile. A space 40 upon the rear face of thehousing 15 is designed to receive a copy of the driver s license. Insideof thetag or sheet 31 and interposed between the sheet 31 and the light29 is a colored sheet of glazing material 41 which causes the licensenumber to show in colors at night, due to the light rays from light 29passing through the colored sheet 41. The interior of compartment 30 ispreferably lined with white light refiecting surface in order that thevarious digits of the license number may show equally bright.

In practice it is designed that the housings 15 and 16 are to bepermanently attached to the automobile and used year after year, whilethe license tag 31 is to be changed from year to year, and if desiredthe sheet 41 ma also be changed from year to year, where y the colorcontrast between the color carried upon the face of the tag sheets and'the perforations may be changed from year to year in the differentStates or territorial divisions. Also where the sheet 41 is changed fromyear to year, the color of the tag numerals is changed also from year toyear.

The plate 62 of the housings l5 and 16 are preerably detachable and heldin lace by means of a series of screws 64. pon detaching the plate 62,the various glazed members may be detached and replaced. The license tag31 is preferably held in lace by means 0 screws 65 to prevent saidlicense plate working loose and becoming lost.

. The license tags and'signal apparatus are materially s1m lified andimproved and the cost thereof re uced. Also a uniform ty e of structuremay be employed and still distinguish both da and night the tags of thevarious territoria divisions. Also the numerals of the tags are notliable to be obscured by an accumulation of dust or mud upon the facesthereof, since the perforations are not 65 liable to be closed undernormal conditions,

and thus serve to'display the numbers etc. even though the imperforatedportion of the ta face be coated with dust or mud.

.lhe apparatus herein shown and described is capable of considerablemodification within the scope of the claims without departing from thespirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1 1. A license tag comprising a housing, a centralcompartment, an upper longitud nal partition e'xtendingacross saidcompartment and forming an upper boundary for said central compartment,a lower partition extending longltudinally across said compartment andforming a lower boundary for said central compartment, a window in saidcentral compartment, a license tag mounted in said window and having cutout portions designating a number and name of a State, a source ofillumination located behind said license plate, said lower partitionhaving a" cut out portion substantially in the center thereof, a lowercompartment containing a: window, a mirror mounted in said lowercompartment and adapted to reflect rays of light coming "through saidout out portion-from said central compartment through the lowercompartment window, a colored translucent material covering the windowlast mentioned and constituting a tail light, transverse-partitionslocated on either side of said central compartments and forming sideboundaries therefor and forming side compartments on either sidethereof, signal means located in said compartments adapted toindicate'in-. tention to'turn right or left, an upper compartmentlocated a ove said central com arts ment, stop signal means located 111Sal 1uper compartment and sources of illumination 1n said upper andsidecompartments.

2. A license tag comprising -a housing, av central compartment, an upperlongitudinal partition extending across said compartment, and forming anupper boundary for said central compartment, a lower partition extendinglongitudinally across said compartment and forming a lower boundary forsaid central compartment, 2. w1ndow 1n said central compartment, alicense. tag mounted in said window and having cut out:

portions designatin a number and name of a State, a source 0illumination located behind said license plate, 'said lower artitionhaving a cut out portion substantial y inthe center thereof, a lowercompartment con-9; taining a window, a mirror mounted in said lower comartment and ada ted to reflect rays of light coming throug said out outportion from said central compartment through the lower compartmentwindow, a: colored translucent material coverin thewindow last mentionedand constitutlng a tail light, transverse partitions located on eitherside of said cen al'com artment and forming side boundaries hepe or andform-' 1 ing side compartments on either side thereof, signal meanslocated in said compartments, adapted to indicate intention to turnright or left, an upper compartment located above said centralcompartment, stop signal means located in said upper compartment,sources ofillumination' in said upper and side compartments, said mirrorhaving means su porting the same at an angle to said tail lig t m windowand in the rear thereof.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

GUS A. BROOKS.

